


Can You Be Jupiter, the Bringer of Jolity?

by scullygreys (orphan_account)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Andrew Garner is a terrible husband, Coulson is Skye's Dad, Didn't Know They Were Dating, Dr. Melinda May, F/M, Jemma and Fitz are May's twins, Slow Burn, Trip is May's step-son, sorta - Freeform, with kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-10
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-06 22:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3151286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/scullygreys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. Melinda May is having a crappy day. Her husband left this morning, this time for good leaving her with their twins Jemma Garner and Leo "Fitz" Garner, and her step-son Triplett Garner. Her day seems to get brighter when Phil Coulson brings his daughter into the clinic with a swollen throat and they run into each other later. Soon they're arranging playdates for their kids and maybe, just maybe, falling in love<br/>Title is from the song that was playing when I finished this, Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda started watching ER, well I'm watching it and obsessed and this came to me in my Geography class. Ask no questions, I will tell you know strange truths.

“Dr. May?” 

She spun around on her heal. 

“They’re asking for another Doctor in the clinic” Victoria Hand called into the break room. Melinda shook her head and put her coffee down. 

“Coffee?” Hand asked, crossing her arms, unimpressed. May just shook her head again. 

“That bad?” 

“Don’t even ask, or actually ask Andrew” May said, smirking while glaring at the floor. 

Victoria slowed down, worriedly looking at May. 

“What happened? Has he started drinking again?” May laughed out loud and then suddenly stopped. 

“Oh no, oh no. He left. Packed up his bag and was gone by the time I woke up this morning”

“Oh my god! But what about your kids?” Victoria asked her, and pulled on her arm so they both stopped in the hallway. May swung her hair back from her face and sighed. 

“Jemma is taking it okay. Fitz, he keeps asking for his dad but Trip is good. He knows the deal from his dad left him with his mom. We’re just telling the twins he going on a road trip” May answered, her frazzled and exhausted interior showing through. 

“Do you need anything?”

“No, it’s just I wish that if my stepson has to be with only one of his parents, it could his biological one” May sighed again and then picked up the pieces of herself, straightening her spine and wiping the emotions off her face. 

“Who do we have?” she asked Victoria. 

“You’ve got a kid with a sore throat, a teenager with a migraine, and some old guy with a bad cough. But seriously, May. If you need anything-”

May cut her off. 

“I’ll take the kid first. And thanks Victoria, but I’ll be fine”

====================================================

“Daisy Coulson?” 

She looked into the room and saw a darker skinned girl with dark brown hair swinging her legs off the bed watching her dad who stood in a corner, on the phone. They both looked slightly familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen them before. 

“It’s Skye” the little girl said weakly, wincing slightly. 

May looked back down on her clipboard and saw Daisy Coulson printed clearly on the sheet. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have the wrong room” she double-checked the clipboard before turning around. 

“No, this is Daisy. She just goes by Skye, her middle name” the father said and she turned around to face him, mildly annoyed. 

“Okay, just make sure to put to tell the woman at the desk that next time please” May smiled slightly, making sure he knew that she was serious. 

“Sorry” he muttered and she brushed past him. 

“Hi! I’m Dr. May” she smiled as she crouched down next to the girl. 

Skye nodded. 

“Can you point to where your throat hurts?” May asked her. The girl pointed to right under her ears. along her jawline and May praised her, continuing to ask her questions as she examined her. 

She was 5 years old, a year older than the twins, lived with her dad in Saraville, also like herself, and her parents were divorced. 

She walked over to Skye’s father and he looked at her, concern filling his face. 

“It’s nothing really, her throat is mildly swollen. I’ll prescribe some medication for her but don’t worry too much. WIth the medication and a couple days, she’ll be giving you headaches in no time” she smiled slightly, over her annoyance about the nickname thing. Fitz had a nickname too, she called him Fitz since birth when she got to name Jemma and Andrew got to name Fitz. Leo just didn’t suit him. 

“Oh thank goodness. After she started complaining I thought something was up, she never complains about anything. I don’t know what I did to get this lucky” he smiled at his daughter fondly. 

She smiled and blushed slightly under his warm gaze. It had been too long since a man, or just anyone had looked at her like they were grateful to her. And he was very nice looking. 

“Do you have children of your own?” she snapped out of her thoughts. 

“Yes. 3. 4 year old twins and a 12 year old stepson” she answered. 

“Wow, so you’re married?” he asked and she stared at him. 

“I’m sorry if that was too personal, I-”

“It’s okay. And no, I’m not”

A small pang of heartbreak flared up in her chest as she said she wasn’t married. She knew Andrew didn’t love her anymore, and it wasn’t much of a marriage anyways but saying those words, admitting their marriage was over still hurt. She still loved Andrew, no matter what he had put her through. He had given her Jemma and Fitz, and he’d left Trip with her, no matter how much he had broken his heart doing that. 

“Ah, well it was nice meeting you” he said and helped Skye off the bed. May ripped a sheet of paper off the pad and handed it to him. 

“Just take that to the pharmacist and take it before meals, at breakfast and dinner and you should be feeling better in no time” she smiled and headed out of the room. 

====================================================

“Do you want to stop for coffee before you head out?” Maria Hill, associate chief of Saraville & District Hospital called, putting her head through the open doorway. 

May looked, and Maria realized she had been asleep. 

“Mhmmm?” May slurred, shaking her long black/brown hair out of her face. 

“I asked if you wanted to grab a coffee before you head out?” Maria repeated. 

“Oh, what’s the time?” she said and stood up, grabbing her sling bag and readjusting her white jacket. 

“17:30” Maria said and walked into the room, leaning against the other lockers while May threw stuff into her bag. 

“I have to get dinner for the kids, can we go somewhere where they have food too?” May asked, slamming the door. 

“Sure, there’s this place about 20 minutes away if we drive and I can walk home after” Maria told her and May nodded. 

“I’ll meet you in the parking lot”

====================================================

“I don’t even know if Jemma will like any of this” May said, picking up a chicken, salami, and brie sandwich with dijon mustard. 

“Steve’s neighbour’s Sitwell, his kids Felix and Claire love the sandwiches from this place” Maria said, shrugging and picking the coffee and tea up from the counter, handing May her tea. 

“Excuse me!” a child muttered and darting in between Maria and May’s legs. 

May stepped back quickly but Maria looked down at the girl. 

“Hey Skye! Where’s your dad?” she said, smiling down at the girl who in turn beamed up at Maria. May looked confused at Maria. She didn’t who this girl was. 

“Hey Auntie Maria, my dad’s getting a coffee” Skye said and hugged her tall aunt around the knees. “Why are you here? Are you going to go to Uncle Steve’s after?” the little girl asked, excitedly clutching her apple juice and muffin. May remembered Skye, the young girl with the swollen throat and the handsome fath - single father. 

“I’m here getting some food with one of my friends” Maria answered and looked to May. Skye looked over to, wanting to see the friend Maria was talking about. When she located May she gasped in recognition. 

“Hey Dr. May!” she said excitedly, waiting for May to recognize her. 

“Hey Skye, how’s your throat feeling?” May asked her and Skye’s eyes lit up. 

“Great! Dad, dad! Guess who’s here! Auntie Maria and Dr. May!” Skye yelled as her dad walked over. 

“Oh wow! Here, can you give me those and go to the car?” Phil asked her and she gave him the items. 

“Okay! Bye Auntie Maria, bye Dr. May!” she called and hurried out. Phil rolled his eyes. 

“Kids, huh?” he said, smiling and Maria rolled her eyes.

“How you guys do it, I’ll never know” Maria said. 

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I should probably buy this before my daugher rus in, complaining about how long I am taking” Phil laughed and walked off. 

As soon as she was gone May pulled Maria over. 

“How do you know him?” she asked, frustrated with herself for not knowing where she knew him from. 

“That’s Steve’s younger step-brother, Phil” Maria answered. 

“Ohhh. His daughter came in with a sore throat and I thought they looked familiar I just couldn’t place them” May shook her head and looked back down at the sandwichs. 

“I think I’m gonna take a big risk and actually get these for the kids” May said and tentatively grabbed three sandwiches randomly, with her eyes closed. “I’m not even gonna look at what I have. There are more important things than strange sandwiches and it’s time they learned that”

Maria laughed and smiled at her best friend. 

“Okay. Let’s go before your kids get hungry enough to actually eat this” Maria said and grabbed May’s forearm. 

====================================================

“Hey, Dr May!” 

May looked over her shoulder to see Phil waving at her and jogging over. She closed her door and walked over to meet him halfway. 

“Yeah, and you can call me Melinda” she said, waving her hand. 

“Sorry, uh, so you said you had 3 kids?” he asked her awkwardly and she looked at him suspiciously. 

“Yeaaaaaah” 

“Skye has been bugging me to have friends over and I figured if you’re working in the ER or just in the hospital you’re probably busy, so if you ever wanted to drop the kids off for a day, or after school, or before school, Skye and I would love it, and I won’t charge” he smiled nervously at her. 

“Sure, but maybe a test run with both of us there, I’m off this weekend if you wanna bring Skye over” she said and he nodded. 

“Yeah, she’s got her music lessons in the morning but we could come over in the afternoon?” 

“Yeah, that would be great!” she fumbled with her purse, pulling her phone out. “I’ll just give you my number and we can figure the details out later” she said and read her number out to him. 

“I’ll see you later then” Phil said, slightly awkwardly and May nodded. 

“Yeah” and she walked off as he did, sitting down in her car and smiling goofily to herself. It was just a playdate for their kids, but she couldn’t help but feel excited. He was sweet, and kind, and slightly dorky . . . she just hoped her kids didn’t scare him off with their love of superheroes. 

The sound of a bell chiming rang through the car and she looked down to her phone, surprised he had texted her already. But when she opened the message she saw it was instead from Maria. 

“YOU GOT YOUR EYE ON PHIL ;) ”

May rolled her eyes and set the phone down on the passenger seat, starting her car. 

“I’M TELLING STEVE”

The message popped up on her screen and May sighed to herself as she passed Maria on the street,, laughing

“YOUR SHIP NAME IS PHILINDA :D ”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Melinda become friends and the kids bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've kinda based Jemma and Fitz off the two kids I baby-sit and Skye off my god-daughter (when I turn 18 in August). Trip is 12 so he is pretty much Trip on the original

She knocked on the door, the wind blowing her long hair into her face and her long coat between her legs. No one answered so she knocked again. 

“Oh, hey!” Phil answered the door red-faced and out of breath. 

She smiled at his expression and peeked past him into his house. 

“Rawrrrrrr” she can hear Trip yell and the sound of Skye squealing. 

She looked at him, grinning slightly and staring at him, unsure of what’s happening. 

“We were playing tag. Jemma, Fitz, and I against Skye and Trip” 

She nodded just as Trip came running up to the doorway with Skye on his shoulders. 

“Hey mom” Trip said, readjusting Skye and bouncing her up and down. 

“Hey Melinda! Trip’s my dinosaur!” she grinned and Trip roared from underneath her. 

“Should we eat Princess Jemma or Sir Leo first?” Trip asked her and a thoughtful expression crossed over Skye’s face. 

“Both!” and Trip galloped off. 

Melinda smiled at them as they raced off, laughing slightly. She looked at Phil, their eyes catching, smiling at each other and she froze. 

“Come on inside, it’s cold out there” he said suddenly and she dropped her head and stepped inside. They had been becoming close friends over the past couple weeks and she couldn’t help but feel something more for him. His wife had left, he couldn’t love her anymore. Andrew had left her, she didn’t love him anymore. Maybe there was a chance for them. Or maybe she wasn’t destined for a working relationship. 

====================================================

“So they were okay? I was called in unexpectedly and the baby-sitter is off on vacation . . .” she trailed off, her hands around the steaming mug. 

“No they were great! We watched Thor and Captain America and then they went outside for a while. They had spaghetti for lunch and then I set them down for a little nap, except for Trip of course and then we started playing tag” he finished and looked down at his coffee. 

“I am sorry about this . . . you didn’t half to take today off, did you?” she asked suddenly, realizing she had just called dropped the kids off without checking to make sure he was off. 

“No, I always take Fridays off. It’s no trouble really. They were great today. How was work okay? You’re here earlier than I expected”

“Yeah, it was really low-key today, I managed to get off early. I was thinking of taking them out to see a movie. I’ve been so busy covering extra shifts so I can pay for all these groceries and gas and the babysitter and every other little thing I just haven’t had time to spend any real time with them” 

She sighed and played with the tag on her tea bag. 

“Look, they already go to the same school, I can pick them up after school when I pick Skye up and keep them here. That way you only have to pay her for the mornings” he offered, looking up hopefully. She looked at him incredulously and he smiled nervously at her. 

“I mean unless you don’t want to or anything” he stuttered and Jemma ran in, jumping onto her mother’s lap. 

“Mommy! Guess what me, and Fitz, and Trip and Skye did today!” Jemma asked Melinda, playing with her mother’s long black/brown hair. 

“What did you do, sweetie?” she smiled down at her daughter and adjusted her on her lap. 

“We played this cool game of tag that Phil showed us where Skye was the first female knight in Camelot and she rode Trip, who was a dinosaur and she tried to eat the royal family! Fitz was the prince, I was the princess, and Phil was the king!”

“Wow!” Melinda licked her thumb and rubbed it on Jemma’s cheek, wiping the spaghetti sauce off it. “Did you get eaten?” 

Jemma stared at her mother with a pout. 

“No! But Fitz did. He was wearing socks when we ran inside and he lost his balance and fell right into Trip’s mouth”

“Oh no!” Melinda exclaimed and resumed fussing over Jemma, redoing her ponytail. 

“If me and Fitz-”

“Fitz and I” Melinda corrected. 

“If Fitz and I were the prince and princess and Phil was the king, would that mean he was our dad?” Jemma asked thoughtfully and Melinda froze. She looked up at Phil quickly and he did not meet her eyes. 

“Nooo, not necessarily. He could be your Uncle” she said slowly and leaned closer to Jemma. “But if you think he’s really old he could be your Grandpa” she whispered and Jemma drew back with a loud gasp. 

“Mommy!” 

Melinda laughed and Phil looked curiously at them. Fitz stumbled into the room, chased by Trip and Skye. 

“Mommy, you’re here!” Fitz yelled and ran up to her, hugging her around Jemma. 

“Hey Fitz!” she says with a smile and ruffles his hair at which he scrunches up his face in protest. 

“Hey Trip” she says to the older boy and he grins at her, setting Skye down gently. 

========================================================================

“Did you guys say thank you to Phil?” she asks Jemma and Fitz, not needing to remind Trip as they all pull on their coats. 

“Thank you Phil!” they say in unison and stand at the door next to Melinda. She smiles at Phil and opens the door, ushering her kids out the door. 

“Thanks, and I think I’ll take you up on that offer of keeping them after school,if that’s okay” she says with a smile and his grin widens. 

“How do you feel about Jemma, Fitz, and Trip coming over after school?” Phil asks Skye and she bounces up and down excitedly. 

“Yeah!” she yells and runs over, hugging Melinda around the legs. 

Melinda smiles at her and crouches down to her level, not hard because of her height and hugs Skye properly. 

“I’ll see you on Monday” she says, waving goodbye to Phil and Skye. 

========================================================================

“They’re here!” Jemma yelled, tugging furiously on Melinda’s hand. 

Melinda smiled at her daughter and looked up in the direction that Jemma was pointing in. Phil and Skye were at the ticket box, talking to the person in the booth. 

“Alright Jemma, let’s just wait until they’ve gotten their tickets. Can you go get the boys and I’ll get Phil and Skye?”

“Yes!” Jemma said and took off running to where Trip and Fitz were getting popcorn. Melinda shook her head at Jemma, too tired to remind her not to run. 

“Hi Melinda!” a shy voice said and Melinda looked to her left to see Phil and Skye standing there. 

“Hi Skye! Jemma, Fitz, and Trip are over getting popcorn if you want to go see them” Melinda said and Skye looked up to her dad who nodded and she ran off as well. 

“Thanks for coming. They were so excited when you said you could come. I hope it isn’t too much, being with us this much. I guess they just miss their dad, Maria and Steve are over as much as the can but that isn’t really enough”

“I understand. When Audrey filed for divorce and moved in with her boyfriend Skye really missed her. She needed another parental figure, thankfully my step-brother and his wife were around too, I don’t know what I’d have done without Steve and Maria. It’s a wonder we didn’t meet sooner” 

Melinda blushes. 

“Does she still see Audrey?” Melinda asks and Phil shakes his head. 

“She moved to Germany 2 years ago with the boyfriend. She comes down on Skye’s birthday and Christmas two years ago. She’s busy with work . . . and she’s pregnant. We haven’t told Skye yet” 

“Oh” Melinda mutters and twists her hand over her wrist within the awkward silence. 

========================================================================

“Can you hold my hand, Mommy?” Jemma whispers into her mother’s ear and Melinda moves her hand over into Jemma’s lap. She looks further down the row and sees Jemma holding Fitz’s hand. On her left side she can see Trip holding Skye’s hand and Skye holding Phil’s. 

As the ogre growls even more and people start to die and disappear and Jemma’s hand gets tighter and tighter on hers, Melinda soon finds herself grasping the hand she finds on the armrest to the left. Finally the movie draws to a close and Jemma lets go of her hand so they can watch the credits (most likely out of habit) and Melinda looks over to find her hand still entwined with Phil’s. Looking up and down the row she sees that no one else is still holding hands but she shrugs it off and settles back down into her seat. His hand is warm and nice. 

Of course when the credits finish he looks over and sees their hands are still together and apologizes, blushing. She says it’s nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the movie they go to see is Into the Woods


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No kids but welcome Nat, Clint, Bobbi, and Lance.

“Hey, May!” the red-headed doctor sticks her head in through the door. May looks up from the clinic patient who’s complaining of back aches and rashes. 

“Yeah?” she says and comes to the door. 

“We got two new med students at the desk, they’re bugging Akela to no end” Natasha Romanoff says with a grimace. “They’re arguing like crazy. I swear they’re like an old married couple”

“Yeah and? Give them the tour and then send them into the clinic. I’ll probably run into them later” May said and Natasha groaned whinily. 

May just rolled her eyes. 

“I get enough of that from my kids. If you don’t want to, stick them with Barton. He won’t get mad at you for that. Doubt he’ll ever get mad at you” May said with a smirk. 

Natasha glared at her. 

“That;s not what he was like when I put the plates in the wrong cupboard when I was doing the dishes for him” 

“Hey, lady! I’m trying to get some medical attention here!” the woman on the bed yelled and Natasha rolled her eyes, sauntering out of the exam room. 

========================================================================

“Stop it, I got it Bobbi!” 

“Really, is that why you’re holding it backwards?”

“I wouldn’t have it backwards if you weren’t yelling at me so I could focus!”

“What’s going on here?” May asked, breaking up the squabble between whom she presumed were the two new med students. 

“Nothing” he says while she says “Him”. They glare at each other. 

“Who are you?” she asks sternly and they both straighten up. 

“Lance Hunter, ma’am” he says, smiling smugly at her. 

“Barbara Morse, but can you just call me Bobbi?” she says and Melinda nods. 

“Next time introduce yourself as Bobbi, it’ll cause a lot less confusion” Melinda says and notices Sitwell over by one of the trauma rooms. 

“Hey Sitwell, take Hunter over here with you during your shift in the ER, Barton dumped them both in here” she says and motions for Bobbi to follow her. 

“Bobbi, finish for me in the exam room and then continue on in the exam room”

Bobbi nodded, then looked back up at the older Doctor. 

“Why, where are you going?” the med student asks, watching Melinda’s retreating back. 

“On my break” 

========================================================================

She pulls out her phone and texts Trip, asking how his math test went before settling back down into her seat in the lounge. It’s been a long day and it’s only half done. 

Her phone vibrates and she sees it’s from Phil, not Trip. 

HEY. HOW’S WORK? :)

OKAY. BEEN NON STOP AND WE’RE DUE ANOTHER TRAUMA. HAVEN’T HAD ONE IN A WEEK OR SO

DWELL ON THE POSITIVE!

She smiles at his message and sets her phone down. She can hear Bobbi and Hunter arguing again. She walks out of the room and sees an old woman absolutely terrified behind the arguing Bobbi and Hunter. Akela stands in between them, trying to shout over their arguments. 

“What’s going on?!” Melinda shouts, storming into the exam room. 

Bobbi and Hunter flinch at the sound of her voice, despite the fact that she is little. 

“I’m not sure. All I know is they had 3 patients complaining about the racket and when I came in here to quiet them down, they got louder and almost gave Mrs. Doberman a heart attack!” Akela says, stomping a foot. 

“Where’s Sitwell?” Melinda asks Akela who shrugs. 

“That’s the question of the century” she says and looks back to the med students, glaring at them. 

“Okay. Page Barton and Natasha, send Bobbi with Barton and Hunter with Natasha. Now get out and I don’t want to hear any of you arguing ever again. I’m very good friends with the Deputy Director and she owes me a favour” Bobbi and Hunter swallow and follow Akela obediently out the door. 

“Now, Mrs. Doberman” she says sweetly, picking up the clipboard. “What seems to be the problem?”

========================================================================

“Nat?” she pokes her head into an the pediatric ward where Nat sits on an empty bed. 

“Hey” she says and slides off the bed. 

“My mother is coming up this weekend and-”

“I’m not babysitting for you again. I love my god-kids dearly but after that dinosaur incident I have sworn off babysitting until they’re older” Nat said, her eyes wide. 

“No, she’s going to babysit, I was wondering if you wanted to come out with me?” she said with a smile. 

“But won’t your mother be disappointed you won’t be spending anytime with her?” 

May glares at her. 

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response” she says and walks out. 

“Call me when you get home. I’m free on Saturday!” she calls out as she runs after May. 

========================================================================

“Hello Mama” she says, her voice stiff along with her posture. 

“Hello Qiaolian. How are you?” 

“Fine. How are you?”

“As well as I can be. Are you calling to inform me my visit has been canceled?”

“”No, of course not! I was, ah, just wondering if you wanted to stay in the house, or at a hotel. We have a room available if you want it but I know last time you stayed at a hotel”

“The last time I visited YOU, you had two babies in the household and were fighting with your husband, how is Andrew by the way?”

“Okay I guess, so you want to stay in a hotel?”

“Do you have two babies and are fighting with your husband?” 

“No” 

“Then I will see you this weekend. Please stock up on groceries”

“Yes, I will. So you are staying at the house then?”

“And cooking. Goodbye”

“I can cook-” her mother had already hung up. 

“Lovely to talk to you mother. I’ll tell the kids, hello. They’ll be so glad you asked after them” Melinda says to herself as she puts the phone into her pocket and gets up. “You know, it’s only been 2 ½ years”

========================================================================

“Hey, when’s your shift over?” Maria calls as Melinda passes in her the hallway. 

“6:30. I took a longer shift so I could get the weekend off. I have to come in at 6 tomorrow morning too” Melinda sighs and grabs three clipboards out off the stack for the ER. 

“Well it’ll be worth it” Maria says. She’s become an optimist ever since she moved in with Steve. 

“Enh. I’m not sure my mother-”

“Phil will be sooo happy” Maria cut her off, not hearing Melinda. 

“Wait - what?” Melinda stutters, unsure of what Maria is taking about. 

Maria smiles at Melinda and hurries off, her phone vibrating. Melinda stands behind, her confused. 

“Akela, can you run after Maria and ask her what’s she doing on Saturday?” Melinda asks the desk clerk who grins evilly at her. 

“Planning on asking Hardass Hill out?” Akela smirks and Melinda glares at her. 

“Do you want the new med students to trail you around for a week or so? All that arguing and bickering and-” Melinda says with an equal smirk as Akela’s drops to a gasp. 

“Playing dirty, Dr. May. I like it” she says and walks off towards Maria. 

“Hey, Dr. May! I have a GSW coming in in about two minutes” Victoria Hand yells as she runs towards Melinda. She in turn sighs and runs towards the Ambulance Bay. 

========================================================================

“Yeah I talked to her but she was short just like usual. She just kinda orders me around like I’m one of her soldiers from when she was in the army. Well, news flash, Mom, I’m not” Melinda says into her phone as she drives down the street. 

“Yeah, but you haven’t really tried to bond with her ever since your dad died. She is probably grieving him too, even though it’s been, like, 10 years. Just be nice and polite. She knows you were Daddy’s girl too, and maybe she wishes you guys weren’t so rocky too. At least you can still see your Mom” 

“Sorry, bad subject. Is Clint over there? I hear a racket”

“Yeah Sitwell too. Clint and I made up so he lives here again and he and Sitwell grabbed all their COD games to play through the night”

“Huh. I’m glad Trip really isn’t into them yet. All the other 12 year old boys I’ve met are obsessed with them”

“Well Clint isn’t 12, he’s 31”  
“Yeah . . . I’m just pulling in now. I gotta go, Nat”

“Okay. Bye, Mel”

“Bye” and Melinda hangs up, unlocking her door and walking up to her front porch until she notices two unread text messages from Phil.

HEY. TRIP TEXTED YOU THIS, BUT IM TAKING JEMMA, FITZ, AND TRIP HOME SO I CAN TAKE SKYE TO HER SWIMMING LESSONS

She had received Trip’s version of the same message, so she scrolls up. 

MY FRIENDS SHARON AND SAM ARE HOSTING A BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR ME AT THEIR HOUSE, DO YOU WANNA COME? MY MOM IS AVAILABLE TO BABYSIT, SHES COMING DOWN TO BABYSIT SKYE. ITS ON SATURDAY

Suddenly Maria’s excitement makes much more sense. And she realizes she’s screwed. Phil & Maria vs. Nat and her Mother. All competing for Saturday night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically Melinda has been invited to Phil's birthday, to which she wants to go but her mother is coming and she made plans with Nat


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda's Mother comes to stay, she come to a realization about her and Andrew, the kids have a PA day, and she talks to Phil about Staurday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like twice the size of the normal chapters

Knocks on her door wake her up and she groans and sits up, shaking her hair out of her face. She looks over to read the lock, muttering 7:30 through her dry throat. 

“Come on in” she says and smiles as Fitz and Jemma come running in. 

“Grandma’s coming today!” Jemma and Fitz say in unison and Melinda smiles stupidly at them. 

“Yes she is. Why don’t you go downstairs as see if your brother had made breakfast?” she slurs and they nod happily, running out. She slumps back down into her bed, almost reaching to grab Andrew’s arm. It’s habit, they were married for a little over 5 years. 

She shakes her head, trying to rid herself of these reminiscent thoughts. He’s not coming back, or not to be with her at least. He’s been gone for a month now, and he made it clear in their last fight he didn’t want to see her again. That he didn’t want to see any of them again. 

She groans and rolls out of bed, grabbing a long cardigan to pull over her shorts and tank top. As she walks to the staircase she notices a picture frame glinting in the morning sunrise. It’s a picture of her, Andrew, and the kids at Disney World last year. Jemma had hit it off with a British family staying by them and used her best British accent for weeks afterwards. 

“Mooooom” she can hear Jemma’s voice in the kitchen and sighs, missing the happy, easy days. Now she’s struggling financially, is working crazy hours and trying to spend time with her kids, and move on with Andrew while balancing her growing fondness for Phil. 

She hurries down the stairs and finds milk all over Jemma and angry tears spilling down her cheeks, as she pokes Fitz in the shoulder. He is poking her back and Trip is trying to separate them while cooking the eggs. 

“What’s going on here?” she asks, using her Doctor’s voice. Jemma and Fitz immediately freeze, shame creeping onto their faces. 

“Fitz was putting milk into his glass when he put it into my lap-”

“No! You pushed me and it moved-

“No! It was on purpose!” the twins were yelling and Melinda put a hand over her ear. She did not need a headache today. 

“Jemma, upstairs go and get changed and stay there until I say you can come out” Melinda says sharply and Jemma drops her head, sniffling and shuffles towards the stairs, poking Fitz one last time before she leaves the kitchen. 

Fitz growls at Jemma as she pokes him until Melinda interrupts them. 

“Fitz, go to the basement stairs, you’re on a time-out” Melinda says, just as sharply and he turns his back to her. 

“Fitz!” he still doesn’t answer her so she grabs his arm “Leopold Iain Garner, you are going to the basement stairs for a time-out for 10 minutes!” she hisses and he pulls out of her grasp, running to the basement stairs with tears in his eyes. 

Melinda collapses into a kitchen chair as Trip sits down across from her. 

“Are you okay?” he asks her and she just sighs. 

“It was just a squabble, they’re probably over it by now” he says, reaching to put a hand on her knee causing a tear slips down her cheek. 

“I’m sorry, your dad used to do that” she says, placing a hand on his hand. “Normally I get all this” she waves a hand over her face, “over with before you guys are up. Or I’m just too busy”

He nods gently. “You still love dad, don’t you?” 

She looks up at him, the tears swimming in her eyes but not falling. 

“No . . . yes . . . I don’t know. When he left I hated him, we were fighting and he’d just walked out on you and the twins but I guess there was this part of me that thought he would come back because he loved you, and the twins, and me. I think I was just holding onto that for so long and now I’m realizing his isn’t coming back. And as much as I still hate him, and wish him all the karma in the world, he gave me the twins, he introduced me to you” 

“Hey, it’s okay to miss him. I know you know all this, but I can’t remember my biological mom, but I do remember he took her death really hard and right after the funeral we just left. We moved around for 3 years, I didn’t go to school and we stayed in cheap motels while he gambled and showed me landmarks. I hated him for a while until he met you. He totally changed, and was a proper dad to me He loved you a lot, he just isn’t very good at staying. I mean he left a couple times when Jemma and Fitz were little too”

“You remember that?”

“Yeah, I can remember the fights too” her eyes widened guiltily “but it’s okay. He fought with my mother a lot too. Besides I’m glad he left me here, I’d much rather stay here with the twins and you then go on another one of his crazy and drunk roadtrips” Trip says and she pulls him into a hug. 

“I’m glad he left you here too” she murmurs into his shoulder. 

Eventually she pulls back and stands up, rubbing her red eyes. 

“Of course I still think he’s an asshole” Trip grinned a little at her. 

“Don’t tell your grandmother I said that” she advises him. 

========================================================================

“She’s here!” Jemma yells, racing into the living room where Melinda sits, lining up Fitz and Trip’s dragons with them. 

Fitz jumps up, scattering dragons everywhere as Melinda and Trip stare down at the mess he’s left. 

“I’ll get it when we come back in” Trip says to her and she smiles at him, pulling his head towards her so she can kiss the side of it. 

“You’re angel she says and they hurry out after the 4 year olds who stand eagerly at the doorway. 

“You can come outside, just wait for Grandma to get out of the taxi and put her bags down, okay?” she says to them and they quickly agree, running out as she hurries down the porch, running her hands down her white blouse and skinny jeans. 

“Hello!” Lian May says to the bouncing children in front of her. She pays the taxi before looking at them sweetly. 

“Lovely skirt, Jemma” she says as Jemma beams up at her. 

“Thank you! Daddy got it when he went to New York for a week!” Jemma says and Lian looks up at Melinda, her eyebrows raised and Melinda shuffles guiltily. 

“That was very nice of him” Lian smiles and Fitz jumps up. 

“She had to put it on ‘cause I spilled milk on her pajamas!” he said enthusiastically and Jemma nodded. 

“Oh no! Can I get a hug before we go inside?” she asks and they nod, Trip walking over quickly to hug her. 

The twins run inside, Trip running after them, roaring so they scream. 

“Hello Qiaolian. You are looking well, except for those dark circles under your eyes” Lian says, standing still while Melinda walks over, rolling her eyes at her mother’s bluntness. 

“Thank you, Mama. You are looking good as well” 

Her mother hmph-s. 

“Would you like me to take one?” Melinda says, motioning towards her mother’s three suitcase’s. 

“I would like you to take 2”

========================================================================

“Qiaolian” her mother corners her as she stands in front of the stove. 

“Yes?” she doesn’t turn to face Lian, instead stirring the vegetables in the saucepan. 

“Where is Andrew? Triplett would not answer me and Jemma and Leopold said he was away. You did not tell me your husband would be away. 

“Mama-” he mother cuts her off. 

“Qiaolian, I do not-”

“He left us” she silences her mother. “We had been arguing for months and months, he had left for a week here and there”

_“What is wrong with you?” he yelled at her, his head shaking as his hands hit his sides._

_“I came back didn’t I? So what if I was a little drunk?!” he continued._

_“A little drunk? A little drunk?! You passed out the second you reached our fucking couch. You were so hung over in the morning I was an hour late for my shift because I had to look after the kids!” she screeched._

_“Oh yes, your dear fucking hospital. It’s all about work, isn’t it? Who picks the kids up from school, who drives them to their lessons, who feeds them?”_

_“Who provides you with the money to do so? Yes, I work my ass off because your fucking construction job doesn’t pay worth shit!”_

_“Doesn’t pay anything, huh? At least I’m fucking trying to make this a family by parenting OUR fucking kids!”_

_“Back to them again?! How well of a job did you do of parenting them when you left for a week a month ago? Or back in August for 6 days? Or what about-”_

_“It’s not my fault you were being so bitchy you couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with me! You were always over at ‘Nat’s’ or ‘Maria’s’” he sneered when he said their names._

_“Maria was moving with Steve, they needed my help! And if I recall correctly you said you would help too, but were being too much of an asshole to actually ever show up!”_

_“I was being too much of an asshole? I think I’d rather be an asshole than a lying bitch like you!”_

_A creak of a floorboard sent Andrew and Melinda into a panic, Melinda hurried out of the living-room to the base of the stairs but Andrew grabbed her am._

_“I’d like to see how much you depend on this asshole if I left for good” he whispered to her in a low voice and she tugged out of his grip._

_“Mommy?” a sleepy Fitz stood at the top of the stairway. “I ‘eard lelling”_

_Melinda’s face softened at the slur in his tired voice._

_“Daddy and I just had a disagreement” she said softly and he nodded sleepily._

_“Oh”_

_“Go back to bed, I’ll be there in a moment”_

_“Mm-kay” he murmured and shuffled down the hall._

_Melinda walks up a few stairs before turning to face Andrew._

_“Leave, leave for good, don’t leave at all, I don’t really care. I just don’t want to see your face, and neither should Jemma, Trip, or Fitz or you’ll never see us again”_

 

Lian gently rest a hand on Melinda’s shoulder as she listens to the recount. 

“He may come back, Qiaolian” she says, guilt evident in her voice. 

“It’s been a month, Mama and I know Andrew. He doesn’t feel welcome here so he won’t come back” Melinda says and turns back to the stove. 

“But what about for Trip, or Jemma and Leopold?” she asks her daughter confused and Melinda turns back around. 

“Didn’t I tell you what I said? If there is one thing Andrew does, it’s take a threat seriously. I threatened him that we’d disappear if he ever came back” she says, frustrated. 

“Would you actually follow through on that if he came back?”

“Yes . . . I don’t know. He just acted like he was the only who parented the kids which wasn’t true and then every time we fought he would just disappear for a week and I’d have to lie to them about where their dad was, and then when he came back he’d apologize and say he’d loved and that he’d never do that again, but then he did. I just don’t want to have to put them through that their whole lives” 

Her mother pulls her into a hug, surprising her but comforting her, as they wrap their arms around each other. 

“Who has been helping you with them?” Lian asks after she pulls away and a smile graces Melinda’s face. 

“You know Steve Rogers, Maria’s boyfriend? Well he has a step-brother, Phil who’s a single dad and he picks them up from school and watches them when I have to go into work”

========================================================================

“Hello?” Phil asks as he opens the door. “Oh, Melinda. Hi”

“Hey” she says softly. 

“Where are the Trip and the twins?” he asks, noticing their absence behind her coat. 

“They’re out with my mother, I think she’s taking them to a museum” Melinda shrugs, her eyebrows knit together as she tries to figure out where they went. 

“Oh right, you told me she was coming down. Has she been okay, you mentioned she could be difficult sometimes”

“Yeah, it’s been fine. She softened up a little when I told her about Andrew” 

“You hadn’t told her?” he asks, incredulously and she shakes her head. 

“We don’t talk much” she says, and sticks her hands in her long coat’s pockets, looking down at his front step. 

“Is everything okay?” he asks, worry peaking his voice. 

“Yeah, yeah. I was just wondering about Saturday-”

“Oh don’t worry. Maria told me you were coming and I told Sam and Sharon so they’re expecting you” he says, waving a hand through the air. 

“Ummm, about that-”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You can’t come can you? Maria said you were coming, there must have been a misunderstanding . . .” he trails off, disappointed. 

“Well, I made plans with my best friend, Nat” Phil nods at the name, Maria or Steve must have mentioned her, “This was all before I knew about your birthday party . . .”

“Okay” he says, a little confused. 

“I was just wondering if I could bring Nat with me, do you think your friends would mind?” she says hastily and it takes Phil a moment to figure out what she’s said. When he does his face brightens and he nods. 

“I doubt they would, they believe in the whole bigger is better thing” he says and relief fills her whole body. 

“Great, could I use your phone and call Nat to tell her this?” 

“Yeah, I just put some water on too, if you want to stay for a cup of tea?”

“Sure, that’d be great” she says, stepping onto his carpet. “Is Skye out?”

“Yeah, she’s over at a friends, thank god for PA days”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if everyone reading knows what a PA day is, but its basically a day when only the teachers go into school and the kids have a day off. Here in Canada, we get them once a month. Even though this is set somewhere in the States


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Fitz makes Melinda cry, Melinda and Natasha go to Phil's birthday, make some new friends, and Melinda possibly makes a mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me this long to update this but I had to rewrite this like 10 times because I was having so much trouble

“Mel!!!” she rolls her eyes and peeks out from her door, sticking her head through the door.

“Jemma and Fitz, I need you to open the door!” Melinda calls down and hears the quick scampering of feet across the floorboards.

She finishes adding the dark raspberry-red lipstick to her lips and grabs the heels from her bed, hurrying down her stairs to meet Natasha.

“Hey, sorry I’m late. I-”

“I know, I know. The same reason as always” Natasha shakes her head and smiles at Jemma who is sitting on Natasha’s hip.

“I was almost late too. Clint wanted to hold me back, said he liked my dress. I guess he likes when I wear pink” she smirks as Melinda scrunches up her nose, taking a look at Natasha’s lacey, scarlet-pink dress with a white bow around the waist.

“Do I look ready to tag along on your date?” Natasha says with a smirk and Fitz looks up at his mom, confused.

“What’s a date?” he asks and Melinda freezes. Fitz doesn’t really know his dad isn’t coming back home, and she doesn’t want to have to explain all this to him. Besides, this isn’t a date. She’s going to his birthday party, nothing else, nothing more.

“It’s when two people go out together and have fun” Melinda says stiffly and Fitz nods.

“So when Trip goes to Liam’s house, s’that a date?” Fitz asks innocently. 

“Or when you and me go to Skye’s house” Jemma pipes up but Fitz shakes his head at her. 

“No dummy, that’s three people. Mommy only said two-”  
“Mommy! Fitz called me a dummy” Jemma whines and Natasha gently puts her down as she runs to her mother’s legs, kissing the top of her god-daughter’s head. 

“And that’s my cue to head to the car. I’ll meet you out there?” Natasha asks and Melinda nods, holding a sobbing Jemma in one hand and crouching next to a pouting Fitz. 

“Yeah, don’t forget to say hi to my mother though. She’ll kill me if you don’t!” Melinda yells over her shoulder. 

“Okay” Natasha yells back over the shouting match between the twins. 

“Tattletale! You always tell on me! I don’t tell on you!” Fitz yells to Jemma who starts crying harder. 

“Mommy!” she squeals and Fitz looks up at her with angry tears in his eyes. 

“Tattletale. Dummy. Cry-Baby!” Fitz yells and Melinda stares at him, shocked with his behavior. 

“Leopold Garner! What has gotten into you?” she asks him and he shrugs. 

“Jemma. She’s a loser” he says and Jemma’s eyes widen. Melinda has never known her son to act like this. 

“You’re on a time-out!” Melinda says loudly and he scampers off. 

“Fine. You don’t love me” he spits and runs off. 

“Fitz!” her voice cracks as Jemma’s chin wobbles, sniffling into her t-shirt. 

“Wait, I’ll go talk to him” Lian says, coming into the kitchen to see what happened.

“No, Mama. Did you hear what he said? Has he been acting like this while you’ve been watching them?” Melinda asks, worry filling her voice. Lian nods and Melinda’s shoulders slump. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t go tonight. I’ll call Maria and she can tell Phil, I don’t want to disappoint him” Melinda says and stands up, reaching for the phone as Jemma clings to her body. 

“No, no, Qiaolian. You go and I’ll stay here with them” Lian says firmly to her daughter. 

“But I need to talk to Fitz, if he’s acting out there has to be a reason for it” Melinda argues and he mother shakes her head. 

That can wait” she says and Melinda nods, kissing Jemma’s forehead and hugging her before Lian takes her hand. 

“Let’s get you all cleaned up” Lian says and Melinda turns around, slipping into her heels and grabbing her coat from the back of a chair. 

“You look very pretty, Mommy” Jemma says and Melinda turns around, a small smile on her face as she looks down at navy blue dress that flares out in the waist, oriental raspberry-red flowers patterned all over it. 

“Thank you”

========================================================================

“Hey” Melinda says as she slips into the car. 

“Hey, is everything okay” Natasha asks, shifting in her seat to face Melinda. 

“No, its just Fitz. He’s been acting up, talking back and showing attitude. I don’t know what to do. He’s never been like this before, I’m starting to think its about Andrew. Why is everything about Andrew, even when he’s gone?” Melinda asks and Natasha snorts. 

“You married, I dunno why you’re asking me. Besides, tonight is not about Andrew, it’s about Phil, or more you and Phil” Natasha says, smiling. 

Melinda glares at her, strapping on her seat belt. 

“Come on, tell me you don’t like him” 

“I don’t - I do like him but I don’t know if I’m ready for anything, let alone if he is. Besides, there hasn’t really been anything on his end if he likes me”

“Aha! I knew you liked him! But dammit, now I owe Maria 20 bucks. She saw the two of you when you guys met so she had more info. I haven’t even met him” Natasha says to herself, crossing her arms and pouting. 

“Is that all you heard of what I said? And even if we were both interested, and ready, we have kids and lives. We can’t just jump into a relationship with no strings attached like, like I could 7 or 8 years ago” Melinda sighs. 

“I don’t care. You and Phil are going out in the next month, damn the consequences and everyone else” Natasha says, starting the car up. Melinda looks over at her, smirking with an exasperated look in her brown eyes. 

“I’m serious about this!” Natasha says as they drive away. 

“Okay” she says slowly, and their grins fade as silence ensues. 

“If Ms. Remtau, you know our chem teacher in college could see us know, just imagine how disappointed she'd be. She said we were the most promising students she’d seen. Now we’re working too many shifts, bitching about our lives, and have half of what we want; I have the guy, you have the kids” 

Melinda looks over again, nodding. 

“Where is Trip anyways?” Natasha asks, breaking the awkward silence. 

“Oh, he’s at these friends of his for the night, Claire and Benny” 

========================================================================

She knocks on the door again, pulling her jacket into her body when she shivers, as Natasha looks around behind them. 

“Are you sure this is the right house?” Natasha asks and Melinda snorts. A giant banner reading, ‘Happy Birthday Phil!’. 

“Yeah, Nat” Melinda rolls her eyes and looks next door with all the lights out and shutters drawn. “Maybe it’s next door” 

“Well no one is answering” Natasha retorts, tossing her shoulder length red curls back from her face. “Can you call Phil or Maria?” 

Melinda’s eyebrows lift as she pulls out her cell phone, unlocking it and pressing on Phil’s number. 

“Phil, Phil!”

“Melinda, is that you?”

 

“Yeah, Nat and I are outside. No one is answering the door-” she is interrupted by the door swinging open. “Hey”

“Hey, so sorry. Steve said something really funny and Maria hasn’t been able to stop laughing and you know how loud she gets when she laughs. Is this Natasha?” Phil asks and Natasha steps forward.

“Yep, I think my boyfriend’s brother is in your History class, Charles Barton? Likes to go by Barney” Natasha says, surveying him.

Phil nods, his eyebrows raised.

“I know him, but he’s actually in Wilson’s War Culture class. He’s quite the student”

Natasha snorts, winking at him.

“He’s a lot like his brother. You seem more than what Mel gives you credit for” she smirks, looking him up and down.

“You talk about me?” he says, his eyes brightening and Natasha nods, over-exaggerating. 

“Oh yeah” she says and turns around to look at Melinda, mouthing her approval and winking at her. Melinda rolls her eyes and Natasha steps into the house.

“She seems . . . nice. Doesn’t act like most doctors I know” he says and Melinda steps inside as well.

“She’s a paediatrician who does ER work a lot and the only Doctors you know are Maria and I, and Maria runs the hospital” Melinda points out and closes the door behind her.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“Hey guys, this is Melinda and Natasha” Phil says, his hand on the small of her back, causing her to fight back a blush.

“It’s good to finally put a face to the name” a woman with shoulder length brown hair says, getting up from one of the couches in the living room and extending her hand out to them.

“Isabelle Hunter-Hartley. I teach at Saraville U with Phil and Sharon” Isabelle throws her head back, motioning towards a blonde sitting on the couch with Melinda shakes her hand and so does Natasha.

“Any relation to Lance Hunter of S & D Hospital?” Natasha asks and Isabelle rolls her eyes. 

“Unfortunately. He’s my little brother. Do you know him?” Isabelle asks Natasha smirks at the older woman. 

“Yeah, I regularly work shifts in the ER so we’ve crossed paths. He also gets assigned to follow my boyfriend a lot. I get the girl, Bobbi Morse. And boy do those two argue like a -”

“Married couple? Yeah, I know . . .” Melinda turns away from them and follows Phil, sitting down next to Maria and Steve while Phil sits down into an armchair. 

“I’m Sharon Carter and this is my boyfriend Sam Wilson. I teach Art at SU, and Sam’s -”

“An Army buddy of Steve’s. I’d introduce myself but Sharon has already taken the liberty to do so” Sam smiles at her and Sharon playfully hits him on the arm. 

“I know how you feel. Everyone seems to know me already” Melinda smiles and Maria elbows her. 

“Well everyone who doesn’t know you has already heard a lot about you from Phil” Maria says and Melinda blushes and she knows what Maria is insinuating. 

==========================================================================

To be honest, Melinda is enjoying herself. Phil’s friends, one of which includes her currently drunk best friend – Maria, are quite fun to be around and seem to have hilarious senses of humour. Hopefully, if she doesn’t royally screw everything up with Phil, she’ll be able to see them again. 

“So, Melinda, how about you?” Isabelle asks her and she turns away from her conversation with Sam about army positions. She was impressing him with her knowledge of the armed forces, but he didn’t know her mother had been a General. 

“What about me?” she asks, concern lacing the tip of her voice as she glances at Phil, blushing at the sweet smile he gives her. 

“Are you part of my single group? Currently it’s just me and Phil here, and I’m getting kind of lonely” Isabelle smiles and Melinda shrugs. 

“I’m afraid I am, but my mother has practically moved in, if that counts as living with someone” Melinda says, causing Sharon to laugh. It feels like she, Steve, and Phil are the only ones who aren’t drunk. Steve can’t get drunk with his medication he’s on for the anxiety and PTSD, she’s the designated driver, and hangovers and kids don’t mix well. 

“How is that going by the way?” Maria asks Melinda, genuine concern for her friend showing through. 

“Okay, she’s managed to take over what Andrew used to do and more” Melinda smirks and Maria rolls her eyes. 

“Andrew’s her dirtbag husband who dumped her and their kids” Natasha says brightly, downing the rest of her beer. 

“Oh, that’s terrible; at least Audrey had the courtesy to use paper” Sharon says and tilts her wine glass to Melinda. 

“Don’t worry about it. He’s been gone for three months now. All awkwardness on the subject has faded away-” 

“Just like Natasha’s manners. But yeah, he left” Melinda cuts Natasha off, offering a smile in Sharon’s shocked direction and a glare in Natasha’s. 

“While we’re on the topic of exes, has anyone heard about Audrey?” Maria gossips, her eyes widening as Isabelle leans forward. 

Melinda’s ears perk up at the mention of Phil’s ex-wife and Skye’s mother. She doesn’t particularly like the woman, though she isn’t one to make judgements on people she hasn’t met, but she can’t help but feel some distaste towards someone who was able to leave Phil and their child for a new man and Germany. 

“Noooooo, what’s new with the German ex?” Isabelle whispers, bringing a memory of some movie Melinda had been dragged to with a friend when she was a teenager, with teenage girls whispering and gossiping. She was always too busy studying, working, or going on random day trips with her dad throughout D.C. and Virginia. 

“Guys, didn’t we agree we weren’t going to hate her?” Phil whines. 

Melinda’s curiosity can’t help but grow. Why would they hate Audrey? Apart from the obvious that they divorced, Phil had implied it was a mutual thing. 

“You moped around for days when she sent you the papers. Steve babysat Skye for, like, three days” Maria snorts. She’s drunk and Melinda rolls her eyes, along with Phil.

“Okay but you were never actually there. You only know that because my brother told you” Phil says. 

=============================================================================

“Melinda?” 

Melinda turns around to face Steve, a stack of plates and forks in her hands. 

“Yeah?” she answers. They’re getting the cake and cutlery; after all it isn’t a party without cake. 

“What’s going on with you and my brother?” he asks gently and Melinda freezes, setting the plates down so she can grab some napkins. 

“I don’t follow”

“Look” he says, leaning against the counter and facing her, a gentle expression on his face. “It’s obvious there’s something between you and Maria’s told me you like him-”

She opens her mouth to speak but he raises a hand and stops her. 

“I understand you both have kids and your first priority is them, as it should be but I want you to think of him and Skye before you get involved. This isn’t a warning but a hope that you understand if you do end up breaking his heart, you’re going to hurt both of them” Steve says and Melinda stares at him. 

“Nothing is happening between us” she insists and picks everything up. 

“I’d like to have something with him someday, but right now our – or at least my life is too hectic” she says and leaves but not before she hears Steve. 

“Sometimes that’s the best time”

========================================================================

She’s not sure why she does it, why it could possibly seemed like a good idea, maybe it’s the second half glass of wine or Steve’s speech, but she finds herself at Sam and Sharon’s front door, a slightly drunk Natasha in the car and Phil kissing her from the doorway. 

She was about to hug him goodnight when she just thought, ‘What the hell’. 

She’s quite pleased with herself and slightly nervous when she pulls back, taking her hand off his arm. He stares at her and the fear, the sick nervous feeling floods her body, turning her bones into jelly and her courage into air. 

“I’m sorry, I – I shouldn’t have done that” she stutters and steps back from the doorway and down the path. It feels like she’s cheating on Andrew, but it also feels so right. 

“Melinda, no Melinda, wait!” he calls after her but she hurries to her car, confused tears forming in her eyes. 

Maybe she shouldn’t have kissed him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter in which Lian confronts Melinda and Melinda tells the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a really short chapter and I'm sorry but I was not really feeling much of this

“Mama?” Melinda whispers as she tiptoes through her house. 

She’s dropped Natasha off into a tired Clint’s arms and mulled over her kiss with Phil for half an hour. Now she gets to work out her problems with Fitz. 

“Mama? Are you awake?” 

“I’m in here, Qiaolian” her mother says and Melinda creeps into her living room, setting her shoes down on the floor as she sits down across from her mother. 

“How was the party?” she asks Melinda, who shrugs at her. 

“Is that all?” 

Melinda rolls her eyes and looks up from her lap. 

“It was good. His friends are quite nice” Melinda mutters and her mother raises an eyebrow. 

If it were anyone but Melinda and her mother were having this conversation, the silence would be confusing. But Melinda understands it completely. 

“Fine. I kissed him and then I ran off.” Melinda says, straight-faced with a bored expression. 

“You did what?” her mother sets her book down on her lap and peers over the rim of her glasses at her daughter. “You left him there?”

“Well what was I supposed to do, bring him home?” Melinda snorts. 

“Don’t take that tone with me, Qiaolian. You should not have left him there” her mother says sternly and Melinda drops the defense, slouching into her seat. 

“As opposed to what?” Melinda mutters and her mother rolls her eyes. 

“Do you still love Andrew?” her mother asks her and Melinda shakes her head. 

“Do you wish to be single forever?” Melinda glares at her mother. 

“Do you find Philip unappealing?” Melinda looks into her lap. 

“Then I do not understand why you are at war with yourself with over him. I have been talking to Maria, she told me you have feelings for him. What are you supposed to do with your children now? Will they still go over to Philip’s after school? What happens when they want to see, Skye is it?” her mother says and Melinda stands up. 

“Are Fitz and Jemma in bed?” she asks, changing the subject and walking towards the staircase. 

“Yes” her mother says shortly and Melinda heads up the stairs. 

===========================================================================

“Mommy?” 

Melinda whirls around, the back of her dress unzipped, taking out her earrings. 

“Shit” she whispers and throws on a sweatshirt, meeting her four-year-old child in her doorway, dragging his giant stuffed monkey. 

“Fitz, I thought you were sleeping” she says softly and lifts him up onto the edge of her bed. 

“I wasn’t tired” he mumbles and Melinda smiles softly at him. 

“Okay, do you want to sleep with me?” she asks him, re-emerging from her closet in a tank-top and pajama pants. He nods sleepily and she climbs onto the bed, allowing him to crawl up and nestle his head onto her stomach.

“I’m sorry for yelling at Jemma” he mumbles and she runs her had through his head repetitively.

“Okay” she whispers. “Just don’t get mad at Jemma if you’re mad at me”

They lie in silence for a while, her mind whirring but his seemingly at rest.

“Is Daddy coming back?” he whispers and Melinda sits up suddenly, Fitz following her by sitting up as well.

“Is this why you’re always upset?” she asks him and he looks down into his lap.

“Fitz, are you upset because Daddy isn’t coming home?” she asks again and he nods slowly.

“Oh Leo” she whispers a she kisses his forehead.

“Daddy loves you very much” she holds him, a tear slipping down her cheek as her son sniffles.

She takes a deep breath as more tears fall, dreading what’s coming next.

“But Daddy can’t come home right now. He has to do things that aren’t with us. He has to be away from me right now. I’m sorry, Fitz. It’s my fault” she whimpers as she cradles him, rocking his body.

“Mommy? Why are you and Fitz crying?”

Melinda looks sadly over at Jemma and pats the bed next to her, motivating the girl to come and sit next to her. 

“Because Daddy isn’t coming home” Fitz cries into his mother’s tank-top.

“Oh” Jemma whispers as her bottom lip trembles. “Why?”

“Because Daddy has to do things without us. Daddy and I, we don’t love each other anymore so Daddy is going to find someone else to love” Melinda says sadly to her daughter.

“But Daddy loves us”

“Of course he loves you, but sometimes it’s hard to love people, and Dad can’t be with us and love us.

"Daddy doesn't love me and I don't love Daddy, so he's going to find someone new to love. I'm sorry" Melinda cries and Jemma sits back, looking t her mum with tear tracks on her face. 

"It's okay, Mommy"

Melinda takes a deep breath of relief and hugs her twins close to her. 

"Are you going to find someone new to love?"

Melinda rests her chin on the top of Jemma's head and looks at the wall of her bedroom, tears clouding her vision. 

"I don't know Jemma, I don't know"


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melinda has a dream that gives her some unexpected motivation

“Melinda?”

She turns in her lawn chair to kiss her husband on the cheek. He smiles at her and sits down across from her, handing her a glass of iced tea.

“Your mother called, she wants to visit and see the new house” Andrew says and she rolls her eyes.

“I’ll call her back later” she groans and lifts her sunglasses off her face.

She smiles as Trip runs over, sand smudged on his cheek and sits down on the steps of the deck, reaching for his water bottle.

“Come here” she says to Trip and he sits down at her feet as she wipes some of the sand off his face with the skirt of her sundress.

“Trip . . . . . .” Melinda, Andrew, and Trip look in the direction of the play area and the twins emerge from behind the play structure. Suddenly there are two more water bottles on the table next to her and the twins are on her lap, playing with her hair.

“It could’ve been like this, you know”

Melinda’s head whips up and Andrew is standing in front of her, a nice suit on and they are in a ballroom. She stands up, taking his hand and the long black skirt of her low-backed dress, swish past. She wraps her arm around his shoulder and looks up to him, his arm around her waist.

“We could’ve been happy, this could’ve been life for us” he says to her and they turn together, waltzing to the orchestra in the background.

“Andrew-”

“But we were never in love were we? It was just momentary, a distraction for me, and the first for you”

He steps back, letting his arms fall to his side and walking into the crowd surrounding them.

“Andrew-”

“It’s okay Mel, you never liked to talk. I understand, I really do. Trip’s mom was ‘my everything’ and I see you have a new person now” he steps and she stands frozen to the spot, wanting to follow but unsure all the same.

“He’s a nice guy”

Melinda drops her head at the sound of the new voice and turns guiltily towards Phil.

He stands, looking at her with confusion and regret. They’re in the middle of his street, its night and the lights are only on in his house.

“I thought he was a bit of a monster, leaving you and your kids for some selfish reason but he didn’t seem that way”

“I thought the same about Audrey” she says, instead of defending her words from their chats, her rants about her good-for-nothing husband.

He looks away and steps back, and this time she runs forward, back in her regular attire, towards him.

“I am sorry, Phil”

He steps back, hurt obvious on his face.

“Sorry about what, Melinda? Sorry for kissing me? Sorry for running off? Sorry for dragging your screwed up life into ours?”

“What-” she steps back from him and he takes a spiteful step forward.

“Haven’t you noticed it? I’ve seen you around, Maria and Steve told me stories. When you messed up at the hospital and the girl died because of it, you changed. That’s when the problems with Andrew started, am I right? That’s when you started to leave the kids with Andrew more and drown yourself in your work?”

A twisted grin is on Phil’s face as horror works its way onto her face.

“Did you know that Steve was offered a great job proposal in D.C., that he and Maria were going to move to D.C. but after you messed up she decided she needed to stay with you and make sure you were okay and they stayed here. And Natasha and Clint, they broke up around then, didn’t they? It’s because of you, she spent all her time worried about you that she abandoned Clint”

“And then your husband left you to be a single mom and a Doctor . . . and you met me. Skye, she loved you more than her Aunt and Uncle and now you’re just going to abandon her? What about your children? Going to let them be raised your mother? She did a rat’s ass job raising you”

“Admit Melinda, your life is just one broken escalator, that’s only going down” he says and steps back, satisfied. She turns away, horrified and comes face-to-face with Maria.

She smiles at her and they’re in the hospital but it’s empty.

“Maria . . . . . .”

Maria smiles at her, resting a hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder.

“I’m happy here. Steve and I are married, we have a lovely house and a dog – we aren’t mad at you Melinda, it’s just that you need to get your life together. Ever since that girl died you shut people out. Most people just know you now as someone who shuts people out, who doesn’t talk to other people and that’s okay, really it is, but you let everything else fall to pieces as well”

Melinda sits down on a hospital bed and Maria leans against the wall next to her.

“I just don’t know anymore. I was so eager to get away from my mom and the house where my dad was that I jumped into medical school and when I came out of it Andrew was there and I needed some sort of support and he became it. Now that he’s gone, all the responsibility has fallen on me again and I feel like I’m going to disappoint everybody”

“So you let it all go? You just don’t bother with any of it?”

Melinda looks up with a fiery glare in her eyes and Maria grins.

“See! That’s the Melinda May I know and love! You know about my past, so you know about all the crap I went through. And Steve was on his own for so long when his mom died, until he found Phil. And Phil, does it look like he gave up when Audrey divorced him?”

“I’m not sa-”

She was cut off by Grant Ward, Andrew’s best friend, wrapping his hand around her mouth and silencing her. A mad grin was on his face and he drags Maria out of the room. She stares, gaping as Andrew walks in with the twins and Trip and begin tying her up.

“Andrew, what’s going on?”

He sneers at her.

“I came back Mel, I realized I love you and I came back and what do I find? You’ve moved on with some other man, given our kids some new parental figure”

“I didn’t do anyth-”

“Cut the crap, Melinda. I just figured it’s time our kids got a better mother, someone who loves them and wants to be with them, doesn’t bring her mother down to look after them, what do you say?”

Trip, Fitz, and Jemma smile up at him and walk over, hugging him.

“I hate you, you were never any mother to me. You loved your biological kids more” Trip says and picks Jemma up, who glares at her with hate.

“You kicked Daddy out. I loved Daddy” Fitz says slowly and with pure disappointment in his voice.

“You did a fine job, Mel. But you never really knew them, I raised them after all. It’ll be a shame they won’t grow up with you – oh wait, that’s what you were planning to do . . . .”

He slowly fades away and Melinda awakens with a start, panting and shivering. She flicks the light on next to her and breathes a sigh of relief on seeing her three children safe and sound, next to each other.

Glancing over to the clock next to her, she reads the time, 3:26. Slowly, as not to disturb her children she climbs out of bed, picking each child up, respectively and tucking them in.

It’s then, looking at their sleeping faces from the hallway, she realizes what she’s got to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have the next few chapters written so updates should be kinda regular but please review because they help remind me and make feel like less of a loser :) Oh, and help with the writing process. Your reviews always get put into the story


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody takes some actions, most of them pay out

“Hi Melinda” 

Melinda looks down, half relieved Phil isn’t there and half disappointed he isn’t. 

“Hey Skye. Why aren’t you in school today?” Melinda asks her, crouching down to her level, which isn’t much lower, and smiles at her. 

“I wasn’t feeling good so Daddy said I could stay home”

“Is your dad home then?”

“No, he said he had to go to work and talk to Auntie Sharon” Skye says and Melinda sighs. She wanted to talk to him before anything could happen making this even more complicated. 

“Hmmm, he said he would be home today. Could you tell your dad I stopped by?” Melinda asks her and Skye nods. She turns around and makes her way down the stairs, careful on the thin layer of ice on them. 

“Who’s home with you?” Melinda asks, turning around to look at Skye again. 

“My Grandma, she’s here because it was Daddy’s birthday yesterday” Skye says, a smile on her little face and Melinda smiles too, despite the bad memories she might have from it. 

“Daddy and I went to a Museum and then we saw a movie. After I went to bed he had a party with his friends at Auntie Sharon’s house and Grandma woke me up and we played Candyland” Skye rambles on Melinda laughs when she hears about her Grandmother. 

“That sounds really fun. I went to your Dad’s party but it doesn’t sound as fun as the Museum. Which one did you go to?” Melinda asks her. 

“I can’t remember, it had dinosaur’s. Daddy said Trip and Fitz and Jemma’s Grandma took them so I wanted to go too!”

“Cool!”

“Yeah, Daddy talks about you a lot” Skye says and Melinda blushes. A yell of Skye’s name echoes through the house and Skye turns around to face the older woman walking towards her. 

“Skye! We aren’t supposed to open doors without making sure we know the people first!” the woman says and Melinda smiles at her, assuming she is Phil’s mother. 

“It’s okay, Grandma. It’s Melinda, Daddy’s friend and Trip and Fitz and Jemma’s mom” Skye says and the woman looks to Melinda, her eyes narrowing. 

“Melinda, Phil has told me so much about you. So has Steve of course. I’m Julie, their mother” Julie Coulson extends her hand and Melinda shakes it. 

“Melinda May, though I’ve already been introduced” she says nervously and Julia stares at her. 

“I, ah, have to go but I’m sure I’ll see you around” Melinda says and kisses Skye on the forehead. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey”

“Hey, how’s the head?”

“Don’t ask. I think I’m going to shoot either myself or Clint. His hearing aids make it so when he moves something around, it’s like 12 times louder”

“Aww, well I told you you shouldn’t have drunk so much but I think you were already drunk by that time”

“Thanks for that, Mel. How much did I drink anyways?”

“Too much is all I can definitively say”

“Yeah, I got that. I was actually just calling to check on you. You seemed a little - weird when you dropped me off last night, from what I can remember”

“I’m okay, I just . . . . .”

“Just what, Mel?”

“Phil and I we-”

“Did you guys kiss?!”

“Nat!”

“Well . . . . ?”

“We had a bit of a falling out”

“Oh fuck. I bet Maria 2 rounds that you guys were going to hook up last night”

“Didn’t you also lose that bet with Maria about me admitting I liked Phil?”

“Don’t mention that. My pride has taken enough of a hit. Will I see you at the hospital tomorrow? You weren’t in today”

“Nah, I figured it would be best to stay home with the kids. I - I told them the truth about Andrew so I let them skip school today and I took today off. I made Maria call in to tell Fury ‘cause she’s the only one Fury’s afraid of”

“You got that right, I need to make her do that for me one day. But you’re coming in tomorrow?”

“Yep - unfortunately”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Dinner’s ready!” Lian calls from the kitchen and Melinda watches as Jemma throws her blanket off and jumps off Melinda’s lap and Trip sets his homework down on the table and Fitz lets his toys scatter all over the ground in his hurry to get to food. 

“Fitz, you can’t bring Henry with you at the dinner table” Melinda calls after him and he shuffles back into the living room, setting his big stuffed monkey on an armchair. 

She smiles softly at him and then sighs, looking at the mess they’ve made. 

Trip was overjoyed to skip school today and got to sleep in. Fitz and Jemma - they were a little more down, clinging to her side, most likely for the fear she was going to leave them too. But they had fun, walking to downtown Saraville and going bowling and visiting the pet store. Jemma was a little more then disappointed they couldn’t get the cat she’d fondly named Simmons but all it took was the offer of hot chocolate to cheer her up. 

Melinda stands up and wipes her hands on her yoga pants, surveying the neat-ish living room and grabbing her sweater from the back of the couch. 

“Smells good, Mama” she says, walking into the dining room that Lian had recruited Trip in setting up. 

“Thank you, Qiaolian. Now sit, we have been waiting for you”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jemma, come on. It’s bedtime” Melinda sighs as Jemma pouts, lying on the living room floor. 

“But I’m not tired” Jemma whines and Melinda rolls her eyes, lifting a squirming Jemma onto her hip. 

“I’ve never heard that one before” she says sarcastically as Jemma stifles a yawn and Melinda, carrying Jemma, follows Fitz and Trip up the the stairs. 

Carefully, Melinda sets Jemma down just as the phone rings, causing Jemma;s eyes to open and look at her mother excitedly. 

“Who is it?” she asks and Melinda walks into her room, Jemma following her. 

“I’m not sure” Melinda says and as reaches for the phone the ringing stops, replaced by ‘call in progress’. “But it looks Grandma answered it so you can go to bed now” Melinda says, grabbing Jemma and tickling her. 

“Please stop” Jemma squeals and Melinda lets her go, watching Jemma run into her and Fitz’s room. 

“It’s Philip, for you” her mother says, coming up behind her and handing her the phone. “I will go tuck the children in but leave their lights on”

Melinda nods and puts the phone up to her ear nervously, moving into her bedroom. 

“Melinda?”

“Phil.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey”

Phil stands in her doorway, his coat done up crookedly and his face red from the wind and his running. 

He stares at her, looking into her eyes and she cocks her head at him, confused at his attitude and stance. 

“Phil, is everything okay?” she asks him, going to put her hand on his shoulder and he lunges forward, kissing her and cradling her head, running his free hand up her back. When he finally steps back she stays put, froze to the spot as he looks down guiltily. 

“I’m sorry, I know we talked and said we’d just keep things the way they were before but I finally have a chance to be with you, and I wanna take it, I don’t want to let it pass by. Who knows when I’m going to get this chance to be with you again, and honestly, I don’t want to wait” he says, running a hand through his hair nervously. 

Melinda stands, looking between him and her doorway. 

“Melinda, please say something” he whispers. 

She looks up at him. 

“Phil, you mean a lot to me. A lot” she says and he smiles as her. 

“If you’re ready to do this-”

They lean forward, kissing slowly and softly, as her hands wrap around his neck and his hands around her waist.


End file.
